Immigration Minister Jason Kenney apologized to Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk for calling the minister an “a—hole” in an email.

Kenney, who appeared to hit “reply all” instead of “reply” when sending the email, called Lukaszuk “a complete and utter a—hole.” The email, obtained by the Edmonton Journal, went to Kenney’s Alberta caucus colleagues and their staff last week.

Kenney was replying to an email from Conservative MP Blaine Calkins, the Alberta caucus chair, in which the minister bluntly said he wanted nothing to do with hosting a caucus lunch or dinner for Lukaszuk when he visits Ottawa Thursday.

“I say a definite ‘no’ to Lukaszyk. I don’t think it makes sense to create a precedent to do a special caucus meeting for every visiting minister from the provincial government. Plus he is a complete and utter a—hole,” Kenney wrote in the email, in which he spelled Lukaszuk’s name incorrectly.

Kenney’s office says it appears the minister’s email ended up going to the staff of the 26 Conservative MPs from Alberta.

Kenney was urged repeatedly in the House of Commons on Tuesday to apologize to Lukaszuk for the email insult.

But the minister initially wouldn’t acknowledge the email. Instead, he repeatedly insisted his government wants to build and maintain ties with the government of Alberta.

Later Tuesday, Kenney’s press secretary, Alexis Pavlich, told the Star in a statement that the minister had apologized to Lukaszuk.

“The minister spoke with minister Lukaszuk to apologize for the email message, and to underscore that he looks forward to continuing with the positive working relationship between the Alberta and federal governments,” Pavlich said.

Political observers say the foul-mouthed email reflects of a deep rift between Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government and Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.

Many federal Conservative MPs and cabinet ministers made no secret of the fact that they were cheering for, and in some cases actively working for, the Wild Rose Party to knock off the long reigning Progressive Conservative Party, led by Premier Alison Redford, which handily defeated the upstart right-wing party in April.

“It obviously shows the antipathy (the federal Conservatives) has toward the Alberta government,” said a political insider who asked not to be named.

NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) said it is obvious that the federal Conservatives are ‘in a snit over the Tea Party’s demise in Alberta.”

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